Dont feel bad about sending the boys home. Most parents will feel better knowing that it is not a boy/girl sleep over. For activities you could have a Dance Revolution contest. The Dance Revolution is Very popular. It is an activity that the boys and girls can do. Do you have mall close by? You can send the kids on a scavenger hunt at the mall. Break them into groups with a parent for each group to supervise. Have them hunt things like a napkin from McDonalds and a reciept from JcPenny. They dont have to buy anything. They could ask people for their reciepts. Some malls may have ideas for scavenger hunts if you call mall information. As for the spa party for the girls. Do you know someone who works for a salon. They could help with hair and makeup. My mom has a friend who works partime at a Macys counter. I have a bag of perfume sample that i could send to you if you would like them. They would make a great addition to the girl goodie bags.

Wheelies and Heelies are NOTHING like skates. I have skated all my life both roller and ice and the point of balance is entirely off on Heelies. Nothing like Roller, ice or inlines. Roller blades (inlines) and ice --almost the same. Quads - Entirely different from roller blades and ice. Wonder that I ever survived my childhood. Speed Club- no helmets, no padding ,no wrist guards. Bare skin and short skirts for artistic - floor burns were a badge of honor. Water on the knee? Get some ice on it, see doctor in a day or 2 who might drain it, slap on an ace bandage and go back to practice.

Hi folks - thinking about building a backyard rink - probably something like 20x40'. Have read a bit about those with good luck using 6 mil plastic from box stores. Question is - I would most likely have a seam - any advice on how to tape the seams together such that they are watertight? There must be a way. Thank you!

There is an old thread about ice skating rinks from some years ago here: http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2064228/backyard-skating-rinks?n=23 I don't know if anyone addressed the idea of attaching two sections of plastic together, but I remember a lot of different ideas being tossed around. I would think that even a make-shift seam might work on a very cold day/night when ice would freeze more quickly than it could escape. I wonder if you might simply fold over the two sections of plastic where they meet several times creating a seam, and weighting it down with small rocks or bricks that would be under the ice once the rink was filled. Good luck in any case, and let us know if it works!